At Play Included, we’re thrilled to offer certified LEGO® brick-based therapy training through our Brick-by-Brick® programme, in partnership with The LEGO Foundation. Our Founder and Director, Dr. Gina Gomez de la Cuesta, pioneered this methodology in the UK to help neurodivergent pupils thrive through play. Children love Brick Club, and their positive feedback speaks volumes. However, we’ve noticed that the quality of LEGO® brick-based therapy can vary in schools, so we’re committed to enhancing the Brick Club experience for everyone.

Empowering Facilitators for Success

We know that the skills of the Brick Club Facilitator are key to the success of the programme, so we have been busy developing new resources and training to ensure that Facilitators are supported. When you train with Play Included, you get access to quality training and resources that have been co-created with Learning through Play specialists at The LEGO Foundation, and our wonderful team of neurodivergent consultants. The programme and the training are now more theory driven, evidence backed, and neurodiversity affirming. We offer access to a Facilitator’s Community of Practice and ongoing CPD opportunities, to ensure that learning continues after the training has been completed. The Certified Facilitator training is CPD accredited and can be completed online. We also offer an in-person Advanced Certified Facilitator course for those wishing to further develop their skills in playful facilitation.

Research and Innovation 

Research and innovation are at the heart of what we do. In 2021-2023, we worked with AT-Autism to independently evaluate our training and programme internationally across seven countries. Following our Certified Facilitator online training, they found that 87% of Brick Club Facilitators felt confident delivering Brick Clubs, and 100% would recommend our training to other professionals. After just 8 weeks of running Brick Clubs, over 70% of Facilitators reported better engagement and enjoyment in group settings, increased confidence and friendships, and improved language and communication skills. In 2022, with funding from the LEGO Foundation, we successfully piloted the Brick-by-Brick® programme in Mexico and Kenya. Bella, a Brick Club member in Nairobi, said “[Brick Club] was fun because I like making more friends… and it makes me happy.” 

Our latest impact report in 2024 surveyed Brick Clubs around the world in over 26 different countries. We found that over 80% of children say they have friends in Brick Club, and over 92% feel happy at Brick Club. Children noticed their own achievements in Brick Club, for example, “I am more creative”, “I can build more things than before”, and “I’m a great helper.” One Brick Club Facilitator, a teacher based in the UK, said “This is one of the best social development tools I have used. It is amazing to be able to work through social interactions in real time doing a real activity… I have seen these positive interactions replicated in unstructured times (e.g. in the playground).”

Looking ahead!

We’re excited about the future! We will continue to develop new resources to support Facilitators to deliver quality Brick Clubs to children, and additional CPD modules. Later this year we will launch the Register of Certified Facilitators, and trained Facilitators will be invited to add their profile. We will also be launching our new membership offer, providing Certified Facilitators with additional resources to deliver their clubs. In 2025 we will launch a new Brick Club monitoring tool for professionals to track progress and outcomes, and a Brick Club directory to help parents find their closest club.

To find out more and to book your free taster session click the button below